Dragon Races of Avalar

(Without any doubt, you'll surely require the use of the 'Download Image' option for this one. Bear in mind however, it's a doozy!)

I have often made the argument that we of the online Spyro community don't know our Artisans from our Dream Weavers, and I've quite decided that if no one else will put an end to this baffling absurdity then I shall create my very own versions of the five original dragon races (plus whatever it was that Cynder and Malefor were intended to be. I thought it wise to provide their species - from which I have speculated they both originated - with it's own name and culture, as they did not appear to fit in with any of the others.) of the realm for the sake of my own sanity and be done with it! There now, hopefully after the submission of this picture no one (or at the very least none of my regular viewers, to be sure!) shall ever mistake my dear wee Ember for a bulky Beast Maker (all on account of her frills), or accuse Cynder of being a female Artisan (rather shakily based only upon the fact that she was the sole dragoness ever to be spotted in the trilogy and therefor of the same line as Spyro and the four guardians.) from henceforth!

~~~Beast Makers~~~

The Beast Makers are a hulking race of tremendously powerful swamp-dwelling dragons, and without doubt one of the most archaic races of dragons ever to swim the green and murky waters of Avalar. Despite their gruesome appearance, these dragons are usually a calm, laid back and hospitable bunch (they can, however, become quite aggressive when hungry or threatened, and they possess a particularly strong hatred for gnorcs) and even though they might seem gruff or tactless from the perspective of an outsider, in truth this is not intentional rudeness on their part. You see, Beast Makers are awfully fond of frankness and even blunt honesty at times. They make no elaborately constructed illusions to hide their true thoughts and opinions as other races do and have consequently gained a reputation for truthfulness. Beast Makers enjoy roughhousing, although they tend to forget their abundant strength whilst doing so with foreigners and can sometimes sprain or badly bruise them by accident.

As I mentioned before (several times now, I would assume), Beast Makers possess incredible physical strength, as is no doubt already visible to the observer. Their fearsome jaws (which have such great, heavy muscles that they cannot hold their heads aloft, leastways not for very long periods, without growing tired from the weight) can crush bone and horn and thick turtle shells. The stomachs of these dragons are so tough that they can process just about anything they gobble up and never have worry themselves with the possibility feeling queasy later on in the evening. One well-aimed cuff from their massive forepaws would be enough even to send the mighty earth guardian Terrador reeling. Their thick, powerful tails allow them to glide through even the very thickest and most stagnant swamps - and it is noteworthy that some of the swamps located in the realm of Avalar are so dense and murky that they might as well consist entirely of chunky peanut butter! - as though they were eels of the sea gracefully slipping through the water. The scaly hides of these dragons, which are rough and bumpy much like the skin of a crocodile, is quite sturdy and incredibly difficult to penetrate unless you happen to be some great swamp serpent, giant Avalarian spiny snapping turtle, or perhaps another Beast Maker. Provided one does actually manage to seriously wound one of them by taking off an arm, a leg, or even an entire tail, they have been known not only to survive the battle but also continue on with their lives just as easily as though no such amputation had ever occured. They can also survive up to a full year without even so much as the tiniest morsel of food. Although terribly heavy, Beast Makers are not the slow lumbering creatures that some people seem to believe they are, nor do they have bad eyesight or slow wits. Quite on the contrary, they can keep pace with any Artisan on foot, possess keen vision (although it isn't of much use to them under the murky waters of the swamp) an impeccable sense of smell, and they learn just as quickly and easily as most.

Of course, as with any species, the Beast Makers too have their shortcomings. One Achilles heel is their dependency upon water. Despite being capable of surviving for several months without it, a watery environment is absolutely essential for the long life, health, and contentment of these dragons. Another weakness are their wings which are proportionately insignificant and, although they can still be used for swimming, fluttering, and gliding, are almost completely and utterly useless for the purpose of flight. So heavy are their bodies that, despite their powerful wing muscles, staying airborne for a Beast Maker is like a whelp attempting to fly whilst carrying in his jaws an adamantine orb: not impossible, but really, truly, honestly difficult and one cannot be expected to rise more than a few short feet from the earth. Also, just as a crocodile, their jaw opening muscles are underdeveloped and can be held shut easily enough. Although typically the gentle giants of the dragon realm towards friends and allies, Beast Makers make vicious enemies and positively despise gnorcs for it is they who invade the peace and quite of their homelands with deafening machinery and threaten them with the one weakness which even their tough hides cannot shield them from: electricity. It is for this reason that they take vicious delight in disposing of the gnorcs so violently and will often hunt them down for sport.

~~~Artisans~~~

The Artisans are a diverse and versatile race of dragons who enjoy building great towers and colossal castles and cities of stone for themselves to live in. Although able to adapt to a wide range of different climates, they feel most at home in lands which can provide them with lush verdant valleys, tall forests, roomy caves and high grassy hills overlooking a vast lake or ocean. With that being said, the Artisans would've felt quite comfortable in places such as ancient Scotland or England, and perhaps even payed these places a visit now and again in days long past when the veil between Earth and Avalar was thinner than it is today. Out of all the dragon races of Avalar it is my belief that the Artisans, should a human being somehow manage to find him or herself mystically transported into the magnificent realm of dragons, would prove to be the most familiar to them and thus the most welcoming. Not only are they the mirror image of the traditional western-style dragons that we are accustomed seeing in our fairy tales, but their culture also mirrors ours in many respects. For one thing the Artisans view romance and nobility under a very similar light and only take one mate (although it is most important to remember that, as with any society populated by sentient free-thinking creatures, there are no shortage of exceptions!). Another similarity is their social structure which possesses a hierarchical government complete with judges, councils, guards, aristocrats and elected officials which is, for the most part, orderly and benevolent provided it is closely monitored for signs of unwanted corruption.

Unlike other dragon races, the physical body of the average run-of-the-mill Artisan is not necessarily born with any naturally extreme advantages or disadvantages: although they wield a fair amount of mana and are naturally quite intelligent, creative, and able in the ways of magic they still do not even begin to come close to some of the more advanced races such as the Magic Crafters, although they possess ample stamina and strength their bodies are nowhere near as fortified as the Beast Makers, although they are fairly swift of foot and wing they still cannot compare to the nimble she-dragons of the Falx Cauda, and though they make fair swimmers they are certainly not oceanic dragons. The Artisan race as a whole does not truly excel at any of these things like some of their allies, but although some might choose to view this as a flaw in truth it is this even balance of different attributes which has made them one of the most numerous, versatile, adaptive and thereby successful dragon races in the realm. You see, unlike other species who might be faultlessly intelligent but at the same time exceedingly weak of body, or frighteningly powerful but flimsy of mind or wing, Artisans are neither black nor white but instead they exist in a bit of a grey area and can do a little bit of everything (Another similarity which human beings could easily relate to!)


~~~Falx Cauda (a.k.a. Scythe Tails, Sickle Tails, Hook Tails, et cetera.)~~~

The Falx Cauda are a somewhat anti-social and unwelcoming race of dragons who generally prefer the solitary deep caves and dark forests of Avalar as opposed to dwelling out under the wide open skies as other races do. Personality wise the members of this race are generally more or less of a neutral evil character. Most of them wouldn't even flinch if they were forced to harm another to get what they wanted, but neither would they go out of their way to bring carnage and destruction to innocent bystanders when they see no direct benefit to it. Nevertheless, these dragons have a sullied reputation (and very rightly so!) among the other races for going behind their backs and changing sides when it is convenient for them or when it suits their goals. The Falx Cauda are very much a male-dominated species whose society is run similarly to the African lion prides of Earth in the sense that it is the females who hunt and rear young, while the males take center stage and do all of the fighting, leading, defending, and decision making. Male Falx Cauda, unless they are childless and mateless rogues which can also be found in lion society, typically have anything from four to twenty different mates and often just as many children. One of the reasons for this might possibly be because the darkened lands in which these dragons prefer to make their abodes are typically quite treacherous and filled to the rafters with unsavory beasts, many of them poisonous, and thus the whelp mortality rate can be fairly high.

The females of this race are particularly adept at utilizing their bodies as a bargaining chip, a tactic they've been known to use on anyone from their spouses to dragon kings and lords (often at the instruction of their mates who enjoy using the threat of a leaked scandal as blackmail against their enemies in the political arena!). Male and female Falx Cauda are very different from one another, both in appearance and character, and so many a foreigner have often mistaken them for two completely separate species. The females, being smaller and weaker than the opposite sex, tend to be seductive and manipulative while the males typically embody the domineering alpha-dog stereotype. Together they from a kind of Yin versus Yang balancing act.

~~~Magic Crafters~~~

The Magic Crafters are an enlightened race of incredibly adept magic users who make their homes in the high enchanted snow-capped hills of Avalar alongside the friendly fair folk of the summits. As you may well have noticed, these dragons have very few bodily defenses: only four horns, a beak, delicate scales and some short, flimsy claws. This is because their true strengths lie in the realms of knowledge and magic, two subjects in which they are terribly well-versed to say the least.The Magic Crafters have in their hearts a deep and insatiable thirst for majesty, splendour, refinement and wisdom. I suppose one might call them the Renaissance men/women of the dragon realm, and not only other dragons but many of the infinitely diverse races of Avalar strive to imitate their architecture, poetry, mathematics, and music. As I mentioned previously, the Magic Crafters have always had close ties to the faeries of the great mountains in which they live. These tiny beings have even been known to look after their whelps to ensure they don't do something foolish like run straight off the edge of a cliff whilst playing their innocent little games and not paying attention to where they are going. Like most races the Magic Crafters also celebrate a number of holidays and love a good festival. Unlike other races, however, special events in their culture very rarely have anything at all to do with brawn as they most favor the pursuits of the mind. Magical duels, storytelling, riddles, chess, and aerial acrobatics is all the excitement you're liable to find in their hills, not gory battle scars!

~~~Dream Weavers~~~

The Dream Weavers are a enigmatic race of dragons who live on a large floating land mass which, imbued with some sort of archaic enchantment no doubt, hovers suspended in the air high above the land of Avalar unanchored by gravity, physics, time, or any other sort of logic in general. This race has been in existence going back as far back any elder can remember, but even still only very little is known about them as they all tend to speak in riddles and even the transcendental land which they inhabit behaves as though it were merely a dream. One archaic legend suggests that the Dream Weavers are, as their name would suggest, the manufacturers and distributors of all the dreams of every living creature in Avalar and that they roam the non-physical dream realm in spirit, devouring nightmares whenever they chance upon them. although this theory seems unlikely, it is a known fact that they are highly psychic and possess a great talent for the creation and manipulation of thoughts and dreams.

~~~Peace Keeper~~~

The ironically named Peace Keepers are a hostile race of warrior dragons who reside in the great scorching deserts of Avalar where the days are as hot as a white blaze and the nights are cold and cruel. A great deal of confusion has come about as a direct result of the Peace Keepers' name and why such a warlike race would ever choose to refer to themselves by such a seemingly benevolent title, but the answer is really quite simple for one well versed in their ways: you see, this race has a rather grim sense of humor (hardly surprising given their surroundings) as well as a deep distrust and dislike of outsiders. It's normal for them to refer to a vicious attack as a 'greeting', or attempted murder as a 'fond farewell', and under no circumstances should the phrase 'you are welcome to take your pick of any of my most lavishly decorated chambers to rest in tonight' be mistaken for kind words of hospitality when uttered by Peace Keeper tongues! However, should a Peace Keeper ever refer to you as a villain and order you to be hauled out into the desert and punctured with the poisonous fangs off slain sand snakes until you are drained of blood and are left to have your wretched bones bleached by the sun for all eternity, you must be sure and take this as their highest compliment and be on your best manners. This purposely backwards language is their means of perplexing outsiders and discouraging foreigners from integrating with them, as well as being one of their favorite forms of amusement.

To help cope with the dry climate in which they live, the Peace Keepers' scales provide a unique solution: they are actually capable of absorbing moisture and transferring it to the rest of the body. This makes it possible for them to sustain themselves on moisture hanging in the early morning air. They can even submerge a part of their (body such as an arm or a foot) into a thick puddle of mud and absorb all of it's water, leaving only dry sand behind. For this reason it is possible for them to live their entire lives without ever having to actually take a single drink. Peace Keepers have a Spartan-esque mentality in the sense that they possess no tolerance for weaklings cluttering up the gene pool and thus abandon deformed or crippled hatchlings to the sand worms and raise the healthier, luckier whelps to be cunning and merciless fighters. This race is nothing to sneeze at and, should you ever come across one of them, it is best to disregard it's age or appearance no matter how tattered and worn or tender and young in may seem to you. Even if it should happen to be missing all of it's teeth, you can bet your boots that the very fact that he or she is still breathing is proof enough of his or her strength, but as you can imagine these dragons have a very high infant mortality rate. Fortunately the ancestors, in their wisdom, have provided a solution to this problem as well, and expectant Peace Keeper mothers can typically count on laying eggs in the double digits to help sustain their numbers in spite of the challenges of the desert.